Making the Case for Training Funds in Your Fundraising

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Would donations towards training this year make your department, your members and your community response stronger? If so, consider a fundraising appeal earmarked for the a goal amount that will move your mission forward. 

The book To the Rescue: Stories From Healthcare Workers at the Scenes of Disasters, edited by Nancy Leigh Harless and Kerry-Ann Morris (Amazon Affiliate link) includes a brief story succinct description of the critical nature of training to today's fire and EMS departments:

 "In a crisis, with expectations changing constantly, how you adapt to your circumstances and the trust you have in your skill sets will ultimately determine your success or failure."

How might this point sound in your fundraising  appeal (which is where your focus should shift to your donor)?

Of course, the strongest appeals are personalized for each of your donors. 

Thank you for enabling your community to be as safe as possible with your support of DEPARTMENT NAME. You make our progress possible.

This year, we need to [Do a brief explanation of your training needs here. Do you have members who want to take the bridge course with the pending changes in EMS certifications in Iowa, as just one example?]

Your gift enables your fire/EMS  department to be as ready as we can be for whatever is at the other end of our pager call. Your support of our training needs makes it possible for us to do everything possible in response to each emergency.

Your gift supports:

[Give two or three examples here of gift amounts and what they support. For example, $X supports the cost of a X class, or a portion of the class if the amount is high. Work in, if you can, the amount of time a volunteer devotes to training each year.]

Your time and consideration of enabling your fire/EMS department members to be as prepared as possible for each pager call is truly appreciated!

What is working well for you on need-specific fundraising for your department? Share your experience below. 

Take a Trip Down Story Road

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Julie** saw a woman approach her at the department's community meal. "You all have no idea what you mean to me " was the  sincere praise the meal guest wanted to share with Julie and her colleagues during the meal. Julie thought the woman looked familiar, just couldn't quite place her.

The meal guest went on to share what it had meant a few months prior. Early one morning, her infant  became seriously ill.  This mom's world was turned on end on one of the worst days of her life as she worried for her family's safety. This mom joined her infant for the transport to the hospital for further care. What about her two older children?

At that point, Julie and a colleague, among the first to respond to the scene, assured the worried mom her older children would be fine. Julie and her colleague fed the children and took them to school. Thanks to Julie and her colleague, this grateful mom had a little less stress on one of the worst days of her life. 

For Julie and the team on her department, this is all in a day's work when you're connected to the Fire and EMS Service. For a worried mom, the level of service she received in dialing 911 went way beyond her highest hopes in a time of greatest need.

Consider the following action in response to this grateful mom's story:

1. Make it a priority to take a trip down Story Road in your department by the end of the summer.

2. Brainstorm members and grateful patients/service recipients that have a story to tell, keeping HIPPA close in mind.

3. Try to record two or three stories. They don't have to be any longer than the example above.

4. Share these stories at your fundraising events and in your fundraising campaigns to demonstrate the forever impact you have on your community through your commitment to emergency response.

**Names and exact details changed to protect someone who wanted to share her story to inspire others.

What stories are you using to communicate your impact? Share yours in the comments below.

16 For Life: Are You Applying the Everyone Goes Home Tools?

Every day, millions of families go their separate ways via the doors of their home for work, school and many other commitments. Although statistically unlikely, there is no guarantee that everyone will arrive safely back through the same door when their commitments are complete.

When the pager calls you and your fellow firefighters to an emergency need, there is even less of a guarantee that everyone will walk back through the door they departed from safely.  That's where Everyone Goes Home aims to help. Everyone Goes Home is an initiative of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Each year, approximately 100 firefighters in the United States are still lost as a result of executing their duties. That's the equivalent of five entire rural volunteer departments!

Headlines like a firefighter arrested for taking a truck on a drunken joyride mean negative actions of a very small group create a public perception problem for all firefighters. Fundraising efforts can only be successful when accompanied by donor trust.

There remains deep public respect for the commitment it takes to be a firefighter. The best way to honor your own commitment and that of your fellow members is to act the Everyone Goes Home initiatives.

As Keith "Doc" Patterson of the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau has shared in his public presentations, "The last thing typically heard on the fire ground before the coroner is called is, "Hey guys. Watch this." This directly illustrates the many opportunities for culture improvement in fire departments. Culture improvement can start with you when you lead by example. 

Review the 16 initiatives in detail here. What ideas from this list and training might be applied at your department?

One idea for immediate action: if you haven't already, consider the Seat Belt Pledge for your department.  In your fundraising communications, clearly and concisely explain your safety initiatives.

What do you think? Please comment below.

Tips for Your Next Community Meal

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The many yummy meals hosted by your department, as well fire and EMS organizations across the country provide important budget support. They create stronger connections with members of the community. How might these events become even better?

1. The 2010 Charity Event Research Report contains detailed input from 850 prospective donors nationwide on how to make fundraising events more effective. The report includes one finding particularly relevant to these meals: Let someone your organization serves give the speech. If you have some sort of presentation(s) during your meal, consider whether a grateful victim might share his or her perspective on what your emergency services mean from firsthand experience. 

2. A wide array of research reports indicate that donors respond most generously when maximum choice is given to them to direct their support. If you're not already doing so, consider making your meal cost a free will donation. Departments who have made this transition have seen their average proceeds from the meal increase.

3. Clearly communicate at your meal the specific investment you will make with the generous event proceeds to further the mission of your department. Report what you did with last year's proceeds. If possible, make this part interactive. For example, if you're planning on or purchased a thermal imaging camera, demonstrate through a display the difference the camera makes in spotting fire and victims. 
 
These are three ideas. What's working well at your community meal? How are you thanking the incredible donors who allow you to move your mission forward with their support? Please share your perspective through the comments section below.  

Exciting Opportunity for Iowa Fire Service Members Coming to Cedar Rapids

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The 20th Anniversary SCOTT Firefighter Combat Challenge ® is coming to the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival on Sunday, July 3, 2011.

Are you registered yet? You may do so on their website by clicking on the Registration button.

Seen on ESPN for a dozen years, now on Versus. The Challenge annually attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations and is now expanding to countries around the world, including New Zealand, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. 

The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full bunker gear" and the SCOTT Air-Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. "victim" as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.

Want to learn more? Visit these YouTube videos from past events:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH9s_y_E7OA&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxQY6jsZ-OE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOSJBq3v0GQ

Visit Cedar Rapids on July 2 and take the Challenge! The Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival would be honored to have you join the fun!